2813. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health to set out comprehensively all the medical card entitlements under the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025; to include whether or not prescription charges are waived for holders of this Act's medical card; and the dental and orthodontic benefits attaching to this Act's medical card [24361/26]
Topics / Medical Cards
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsMedical Cards
399 questions from 99 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
399
questions
398 written, 1 oral
99
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
5
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 6 |
| February 2025 | 24 |
| March 2025 | 23 |
| April 2025 | 18 |
| May 2025 | 31 |
| June 2025 | 15 |
| July 2025 | 14 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 14 |
| October 2025 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 33 |
| December 2025 | 43 |
| January 2026 | 24 |
| February 2026 | 29 |
| March 2026 | 15 |
| April 2026 | 20 |
| May 2026 | 18 |
| June 2026 | 28 |
| July 2026 | 14 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 13 |
| October 2026 | 13 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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68
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38
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14
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10
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10
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9
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8
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7
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
2823. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to automatically issue a full medical card renewal, discretionary card to applicants who have a serious medical issue (details supplied) without putting them through the rigors of a new application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24411/26]
2957. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Health if she will consider restoring Macushield supplements to the medical card scheme for elderly patients who require it as an essential eye healthcare support; the reason this health product was removed from the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24956/26]
3026. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists in County Wexford who are accepting medical card patients; if she is satisfied with the provision of dental care in County Wexford for medical card holders her plans to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25499/26]
3144. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Health if a person diagnosed with endometriosis could be considered for entitlement to a medical card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26105/26]
3241. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if she will consider the serious medical issues and urgently grant a discretionary medical card for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26595/26]
333. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the grade of lens currently used in cataract surgery under the medical card currently; and if this grade of lens is compatible with the lens used under the cross-Border scheme. [22579/26]
364. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently renew a medical card in respect of a Kerry patient (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22650/26]
1722. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if she will increase the qualifying income thresholds for a medical card for those over 70 years-of-age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18566/26]
2011. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department receives aggregated national reporting from the Health Service Executive on the number of medical cards granted on a discretionary basis under the general medical services scheme; the total number of discretionary medical card applications received, approved and refused in each of the years from 2020 to 2025 across all age cohorts; and if s…
2012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the national policy guidance or governance framework that applies to the exercise of discretion in medical card eligibility decisions following a means assessment under the general medical services scheme; and whether her Department reviews or audits the operation of discretionary decision-making to ensure national consistency. [19962/26]
2013. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the Health Service Executive analyses regional or geographic variation in the granting or refusal of discretionary medical cards under the general medical services scheme; and whether any reports or internal reviews have been conducted on trends in discretionary decision-making from 2020 to 2025. [19963/26]
2014. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department maintains national data on discretionary medical card decisions affecting persons aged over 70 years-of-age; the number of discretionary applications considered for that cohort in each of the years from 2020 to 2025; the number approved; the number refused; and whether any policy review has been undertaken in relation to eligibility thresho…
2015. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for discretionary medical cards under the general medical services scheme that were refused but where applicants were subsequently granted a GP visit card in each of the years from 2020 to 2025; and whether the Department monitors such outcomes as part of its policy oversight of medical card eligibility decisions. [19965/26]
2187. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Health if her Department will consider expanding the eligibility for a medical card to older people who are suffering from a serious chronic illness, but who are above the means test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20520/26]
2188. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Health if she will review the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20521/26]
42. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if she will report on the discretionary card; if it will be expanded to include criteria other than the means test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16502/26]
776. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if there is scope for discretionary medical cards to be granted more consistently in cases of chronic illness, or for broader reform of the medical card system; the specific criteria used in assessing eligibility for discretionary medical cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16214/26]
809. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health to review the removal of a medical card from a person (details supplied); and whether the card can be reinstated on the basis of the holder's disability. [16362/26]
845. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health to outline the criteria for which the discretionary medical card can be granted; if she has considered expanding it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16524/26]
930. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the status of a medical card application for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16980/26]
588. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted any internal policy or distributional analysis of the impact of maintaining current medical card income thresholds for persons aged 70 years and over following the 2025 State Pension increase; if so, the date of such analysis; whether the findings were submitted to her for decision; and if she will make a statement on the matte…
589. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department sought advice from the ESRI in relation to the projected distributional impact of increasing medical card income thresholds for persons aged 70 years and over by €10 per week in line with the 2025 State pension increase; whether a policy recommendation was made to her arising from that modelling exercise; and if she will make a statement on …
590. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any consideration was given in Budget 2026 to adjusting medical card income thresholds for persons aged 70 years and over in line with pension increases; whether this option was costed by her Department; and if she will outline the policy rationale for maintaining existing thresholds. [15982/26]
591. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the number of persons aged 70 years and over whose income exceeds the Department of Social Protection State Pension by less than €20 per week and who are therefore at potential risk of medical card ineligibility under current thresholds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15983/26]